1. Field of the Invention
The present technology relates to the field of gaming, particular playing card games, particularly blackjack gaming technology, and most limitedly with respect to automated play of blackjack gaming technology with multiple player hands.
2. Background of the Art
Blackjack, also known as Twenty-One, is a card game that has been played for many decades by recreational players and gamblers. Blackjack is a mainstay at casinos all over the United States and the world.
Generally, at casinos, blackjack is played according to a set of standardized rules. These standardized rules include rules regarding the play of the cards and rules regarding how the players may place wagers.
In recent years, video blackjack has become popular. Video blackjack (also referred to as electronic blackjack) is played on stand-alone gaming devices or on client devices, such as computers or the like, which communicate with servers over a network, such as the Internet.
Typically, video blackjack is played by individuals against the house (also referred to as the “dealer). The dealing of the cards from virtual decks and shoes is controlled by one or more computers. Certain known video blackjack games permit a player to play several hands simultaneously against a dealer hand. Such games permit the player to obtain a greater number of game outcomes per duration of time played, and at the same time, typically enables the video blackjack provider to increase profits due to the increased number of outcomes.
However, these prior art games do not take full advantage of the increased game speed and number of outcomes possible using electronic means, such as the Internet or gaming machines. Accordingly, there is a need for systems and methods for playing an improved electronic multi-hand blackjack game. The following patents describe technology intended to provide better multi-play blackjack games.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,408,983 (Dunaevsky) discloses a method and gaming device for playing an electronic multi-hand blackjack game. The game includes: a) dealing a player hand of two face-up cards; b) dealing two or more dealer hands such that each dealer hand is dealt from a corresponding shoe made up on at least one deck of cards, where each dealer hand includes one identical face-up card and one face-down card; c) completing the player hand according to input received from the player; d) completing each of the dealer hands according to conventional rules of blackjack, such that the cards in each dealer hand are drawn from the corresponding shoe and no two dealer hands are drawn from the same shoe; and e) determining a number of game results by comparing the player hand against each of the dealer hands using conventional rules of blackjack.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,969,316 and 6,726,427 (Jarvis) disclose a method of playing a Blackjack or Twenty-One game that will enable a player to play single or multiple hands and/or wagers against single or multiple dealer hands in a rapid and substantially automatic fashion. In addition, the player can pre-select the point value at which to “stand,” “split,” “double,” “surrender,” and/or “take insurance,” when playing single or multiple hands. The pre-selected strategy can then be duplicated across all player hands being played. The player can also select to “auto-play” one or more hands according to a preset strategy at which to “stand,” “split,” “double,” “surrender,” and/or “take insurance,” when playing single or multiple hands. The preselected strategy can then be duplicated across all player hands being played. The player can also select to “auto-play” one or more hands according to a preset strategy.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,311,978 (Moody) discloses a game of Twenty-One in which the player has the opportunity to play his first two cards multiple times. The player makes two or more wagers at the beginning of the hand. The player is dealt two cards which may be dealt two cards to each player, or one card to each player and one community card common to all players or two community cards common to each player. The player uses the first two cards as his first hand with his first wager and plays these two cards as he would in the conventional manner of play of Twenty-One. The player may Double Down, split pairs, take Insurance and/or Surrender. After the player has completed the play of his first hand, he uses his original two cards again as the first two cards of his second hand with his second wager. Again, the player plays his second hand as he would in the conventional manner of play of Twenty-One. If the player has made three or more wagers, the player repeats the play of each hand again using his first two cards with each additional wager. Once the player has completed the play of his hands, the dealer plays out his hand as he would in the conventional manner of play of Twenty-One. Each of the player's hands are compared to the dealer's hand and winning wagers are paid and losing wagers are collected.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,873 (Moody) discloses a method that involves a card game in which at least two rows of cards, and preferably three rows, are dealt to a player. The player makes a wager for each row of cards. One row of five cards are dealt all face up. The player selects none, one or more of the face up cards from the first row as cards to be held. The cards that are held are duplicated from the first row into all of the other rows. Replacement cards for the non-selected cards are dealt into the first row. Additional cards are also dealt to all of the other rows so that each row is a five card hand. The poker hand ranking of each five card hand by row is determined. The player is then paid for any winning poker hands based on a pay table and the amount of the player's wager.